The Baker's Hotline

October 28, 2016 at 5:05pm

In reply to by Maharja (not verified)

Hi Maharja, your question is quite fascinating, as is the article you reference! I have to admit you have surpassed my understanding of sourdough microbiology. We tend to encourage a feeding regime that best promotes a healthy, active starter, and then work to adjust the bread flavor during the dough stage. Factors that can influence flavor are the type of flour you use (wholegrains tend to promote a faster fermentation and more sour flavor), dough consistency (stiff doughs tend to promote more sour flavor) and dough temperature (refrigerating your dough for an extended time tends to promote more sour flavor). If you find that your sourdough bread develops too strong of a sourdough flavor, it may help to allow it to rise only at room temperature for a shorter amount of time. I'm guessing that heat is a constant for you, so using cool water to slow down fermentation may be helpful. I like your idea of adding flavorings to your sourdough bread as an added strategy, and am eager to hear the results of your experimentation! Barb@KAF
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.